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Creamy Verde Orecchiette

By: Ashley Mincey

Comments

Creamy Verde Orecchiette

"I absolutely love this dish and making it for people! Whenever my mom has to bring something in to work, I immediately know that that means she's putting me to work, and gladly because it's so simple. We're from Miami, so it's always summer- so we get to enjoy this year round, and swap out the vegetables added in. This dish is super refreshing because of the fresh ingredients, its cool nature, the crunch from the broccoli, and the added zing from the vinegar. The small amount of vinegar is the key ingredient that cuts through the flavors of the sauce to add the surprise factor people crave. As a World Language teacher, I get to also sneak in teaching the color green in another language- so I have fun with that too! Queso Fresco is also a great swap for feta as is Greek yogurt for the plain. The first time I made the pasta for my family, I wanted to focus on what we had in the pantry, and there was born my Creamy Verde Orecchiette Pasta- summer ready, versatile, and easy."

Serves10

Preparation Time20 min

Cooking Time15 min

Recipe CourseSide Dish

Type of DishPasta

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Orecchiette pasta
  • 1 cup Pesto
  • 1 Avocado
  • 1 cup Cilantro
  • 1 cup Plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 (16-ounce) Spinach
  • 2 1/2 cup Broccoli florets, chopped
  • 1 Rotisserie chicken
  • 3 cup Crumbled feta

Instructions:

  1. Cook the pasta, according to package directions, until it is al dente. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pasta, and place it in a large container or bowl. Place it in the fridge to cool.

  2. Verde Sauce: While the pasta is cooking, blend together the pesto, avocado, cilantro, yogurt, vinegar, and 2 tbsp. of the pasta water until smooth.

  3. While the pasta cools, blanch the spinach in the hot water. Remove with tongs. Place the spinach in a sieve. Use the tongs to press down on the spinach to press out as much liquid as possible. Blanch the broccoli for 1 minute to keep it crisp. Strain. Add both the spinach and broccoli to the container of pasta. Keep it in the fridge.

  4. Hand shred the chicken.

  5. Toss everything together- the pasta, spinach, broccoli, verde sauce, shredded chicken, and crumbled feta. Enjoy at the summer potluck.

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